


Rick Astley Romance

by Luckyfsh



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Memes, Rick-Rolling, you read that right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 06:04:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11526078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luckyfsh/pseuds/Luckyfsh
Summary: Enjolras is at war. Grantaire didn’t know it- but he is about to be beaten. The first time had been annoying. The second had been clever, but obnoxious. The third had been embarrassing. Grantaire is going to learn how great of a Rick-Roller Enjolras can be.OR the Rick-Rolling AU no one knew they needed





	Rick Astley Romance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GodlingCaptainChristina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodlingCaptainChristina/gifts).



> Minor alcohol warning, R gets a little drunk and Enjolras briefly talks about Rs alcoholism. Nothing is explicit.

1.

**Enjolras, here is the pdf version of the poster design you asked for - think I got the dates right but I was really hungover when you told me so they might be wrong. Sorry. Have a nice night**

**-aiRe**

 

It is the last email Enjolras has to answer for the night. Enjolras can actually feel his eyelids drooping lower with every second, a headache beginning to form at his temples, the call of his bed. He may have all the fervor he had as a college student, but perhaps staying up until 3 AM and going to work again at 6 AM isn’t something he can do every night anymore.

 

But he is so close! All he has to do was check that the poster contained the right information, forward it to the printers, then he could go to bed. He slowly moves the mouse to hover over the obnoxiously blue link. Positive thinking. He can go to bed in soon. He’d had a cup of coffee at midnight, there was no reason for him to be tired. He’d done this before. He wasn’t that tired.

 

He’s fucking exhausted.

 

That's probably why he doesn’t notice that the link was for a youtube video, not an attachment.

 

When the video pops up, it takes Enjolras a full 10 seconds to even realize that it's a video. It takes him another 10 seconds to realize that it’s  _ that video _ . Rick Ashley is bobbing back and forth on the screen, and suddenly the beginnings of a headache bloom into what feels like a full blown migraine. He thought everyone was done with this stupid ‘joke’ in 2014. Many, many times he had opened a link, expecting an article and instead listened a synth bang out the same cursed cords, courtesy of Courfeyrac. But it had been years since it had happened.

 

Of course,  _ Grantaire _ is still rickrolling people. 

 

Enjolras stares blankly at the screen. He’s too tired to pause it. He’s too tired to email Grantaire for an explanation. He’s too tired to move. He’s too tired to do anything except close his eyes and try to block out the sounds of the chorus filling his ears.

 

The next morning Combeferre finds Enjolras slumped over in his desk with autoplay loading ‘Like a Virgin’

\--

2.

 

**Enjolras- as usual you were full of shit at this meeting but, as per a bet with Bahorel, I was unable to correct you. Here is a list of all the reasons you were wrong- MLA formatted for your convenience ;). Don't have an aneurysm when I prove all of your points wrong. See you at JBMs on Saturday**

**-aiRe**

 

Enjolras scans the links with a smile, reaching over to grab his mug. He doesn’t know what he had expected. Not having Grantaire interrupt him every other sentence had been… odd at the meeting. He has come to expect the other man's rebuffs. As annoying as it is most of the time, sometimes it’s plain fun to go toe-to-toe with someone so incredibly smart. Combeferre is one thing, but he was so mild mannered that it doesn’t have the same...artistry as when he argues with Grantaire. When he argues with Grantaire he got to see him smile as he constructs a counterpoint, watch his eyes flash when he notices a fallacy in Enjolras’ argument, watch him drag his hand through his hair when he has to concede a point. Arguing with Grantaire was beautiful.

 

And look- he isn’t oblivious. He knows he likes Grantaire. He knows Grantaire likes him. Only it is all just in theory. Grantaire wants him when he is the ‘fearless leader’, not when he is himself, tired or angry or quiet. Enjolras wants Grantaire when he isn’t being antagonistic, or when he was sober, or holding his tongue. He isn’t a good enough person to want all of Grantaire all the time. Enjolras and Grantaire don’t talk except to argue. They don’t joke or spend time together. Enjolras may have never been in a relationship himself, but he knows that there needs to be more to have a healthy relationship. So he is okay with simply being friends. It ‘s better than starting a relationship and failing. He takes a sip of the coffee, scrunching up his nose and the flavored beans Combeferre always buys. But bad coffee is still coffee. He takes another sip, thinking more about his relationship with Grantaire.

 

They are very good at arguing about politics. Good enough that they’ve been… something for many years based only on their common appreciation of debates and mutual hatred of the bureaucratic waste. Enjolras scans the list of links, once more looking for something interesting to start with. If he responds quickly enough, sometimes Grantaire will answer, and they could argue over email for a while. Enjolras treasures when that happens more than he could ever share. 

 

And Enjolras isn't going to lie, he’s impressed with the list of links- actual links not just copy and paste URLs. It has only been an hour since the meeting ended - Grantaire must have worked quickly to gather and organize this much information.

He clicks a link near the bottom of the list  _ Exploitation of In-Need Students Applying for Corporate Scholarships  _

 

_ Ne-Ne-Never go-go-gonna give you up! Ne-Ne-Never go-go-gonna let you go! _

Enjolras slams the laptop shut, almost disrupting the coffee cup sitting next to it. Of fucking course. It had only been a week since the last time it had happened, He doesn’t know what he expected. Grantaire isn’t one for moderation. He will milk this joke til Enjolras goes insane. Which doesn’t seem too far off at this point.

 

Enjolras pulls out his phone, ready to call Grantaire with a scathing remark about how he spent his time, how stupid it was that he continued to send that ‘joke’ to Enjolras and waste his time as well. Grantaire didn’t do that to anyone else!

Which.

Well.

Maybe it was...their ‘thing’. Inside joke. Conversation other than argument. And if it’s all about stupid outdated internet memes then. So be it. 

 

Enjolras opens his laptop again, looking at the video. This time it isn’t the original. Now there are bears dancing in the background? And it has some dubstep sounding track overlaying it. Somehow the creator had taken a terrible song and made it even worse.

 

Enjolras clicks off the video to spare his ears and goes back to the link of articles. Narrowing his eyes he scans them. There is no way Enjolras had just happened to click the only rickroll in the entire list. He scrolls up to the top and clicks the first link  _ The Financial Aid Scam-We Pay You So You Pay Us _ . The video links to a different remix of the song- this one had Rick Ashley dancing with… long cat?

Enjolras can’t contain his giggle. He loves cat memes.

 

He slowly works his way down the list. Each link leads to a different remix of the song. One has the queen of England. One is just the song playing over a video of corgis playing with a stuffed animal. Each one seems funnier than the last until Enjolras is practically shaking with laughter. He doubts anyone else had gotten this much genuine enjoyment out of the song in a long time.

 

The last link - _ How Scholarships Kill Academic Integrity _ leads to Grantaire's own youtube channel. It’s a mix of the song and  _ La Marseillaise. _ Enjolras can’t contain his laughter anymore- he was sure that Combeferre and Courfeyrac could hear him cackling through the walls. It is easily the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. The beats don’t line up, and the video is overlain the original with a photo of the French flag. Grantaire has a BFA but it looks and sounds like something a toddler had made.

 

He sends Grantaire an email, then put his phone down.

**_Grantaire-_ **

**_I hope you know that I also want the actual articles too._ **

**_Enjolras_ **

\---

3.

 

It might be a blessing in disguise that Enjolras stops dancing when Grantaire requests the DJ to play  _ the song _ because he looked like if he fell down, he wouldn’t be able to get back up. 

 

\--

4.

Enjolras is at war. Grantaire doesn’t know it- but he is about to be beaten. The first time had been annoying. The second had been clever, but obnoxious. The third had been embarrassing.Grantaire is going to learn how great of a Rick-Roller Enjolras can be.

 

**_Grantaire-_ **

**_I know you aren’t passionate about activism, but this seems up your alley- an after school program for kids to learn about art and art history. They need volunteer teachers and I know you were just talking to Joly about how you miss working with kids after your niece(?) moved. Hope you apply, it would do a lot of good for these kids._ **

**_Here is the link:_ ** **_XXX_ **

**_See you_ **

**_Enjolras_ **

_ Sent at 12:17 am _

 

Okay, it may be a little underhanded it mention Grantaire's niece, or as he puts it ‘the sweetest little girl in the entire world’ but he is at war.

 

**Enjolras-**

**DUDE THANKS!! THIS SOunds SO COOL AND I CAN'T WAIT I LOVE KIDS! I'M WITH BAHOREL AND I CNAT REALLY READ RN BUT ILL LOOKK AT THE LiNK IN THE MORNING I REALLY LOVEKIDS AND I CAN”T WAIT TO TEACH THEM ABOTU ART!!11! LIKE I DONT THHINK ILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT DICKS BUT THATS OKAT!!!! THERE ARE ALOT OF IMPORTANT PARTS OF ART THAT ARNT DICKS. LIKE FLOWERS!1!!!!1!!!! ILL TEACH THE KIDS ABOUT FLOWERS!!!!!!!**

**THANKS!!!**

**AIrE**

_ Sent at 12:47 am _

 

**Enjolras-**

**That was rude. I hope you know I am taking this as a declaration of war. And believe me when I say that I will never let you down, or give you up the title of best rick-roller**

**See you on the battlefield**

**aire**

_ Sent at 11:32 am _

 

Enjolras smiles. This is going to be fun.

 

5.

Grantaire is very drunk. Enjolras is used to categorizing the levels of Grantaire’s drunkenness. There is necessity drunk, there is sad drunk, and there is the rarest nowadays: party drunk.

 

Grantaire is shirtless, dancing in the middle of the party to music only he could hear, and holding an empty bottle of booze. Enjolras averts his eyes. If someone catches him staring at the tattoos that cover Grantaire's arms, or the line of his body as he dances, or the way he is smiling to himself, eyes closed, lost in his own world--well. Enjolras would never hear the end of it.

 

Enjolras is seated on the couch at Marius’ and Cosette's house. It is some party or other celebrating their approaching marriage, and as happy as Enjolras is for them; it feels like he has attended a thousand of similar events. They all ended the same, with Courfeyrac crying, Joly worried about the danger of spreading illness by having an outdoor wedding in early spring, and Grantaire, Musichetta, and Eponine very, very drunk.

 

He pulls his phone out of his jeans and is checking an email from the newspaper when he felt someone's breath slide across his shoulder.

 

_ “A full commitment's what I'm thinking of/ You wouldn't get this from any other guy” _

 

Enjolras looks up, meeting Grantaire’s eyes. The other man is smiling, and while his breath stinks of alcohol, Enjolras can’t help but smile back. It is rare the Grantaire is happy when he is drunk, but the air of celebration was contagious. And as silly as it is, hearing Grantaire sing what is slowly becoming  _ their song _ makes Enjolras happy.

 

Grantaire has transitioned to leaning against Enjolras’ shoulder. He always gets tired when he is party drunk. As much as Enjolras wants to keep the warm comforting weight against him, Grantaire probably needs some painkillers and at least partially horizontal surface.“Grantaire are you going to fall asleep? Have a glass of water okay?”

 

Grantaire nods against his arm. “Mmhhmm. In a sec. Don’t want to move, I’m comfy.”

 

“I have a bottle right here. I have to work tomorrow so I was drinking water.” Enjolras hands Grantaire the bottle, letting their hands touch for a few moments. Despite the fact that they are pressed from head to toe, somehow them touching hands felt intimate. Perhaps it’s the skin on skin aspect. He almost wants to drop the bottle, keep holding Grantaire’s hand, forget about all the reasons that Grantaire and he are a terrible idea.

 

Grantaire pulls his hand away, finishing off the bottle, then dropping it on the other side of himself and leaning his head back on Enjolras’ shoulder.  _ “And if you ask me how I'm feeling/Don't tell me you're too blind to see” _ He yawns,  _ “I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling/Gotta make you understand” _

 

Enjolras leans close to listen to him. He has heard the song a thousand times before, but it’s different when it’s Grantaire singing it. If felt like Grantaire’s saying the words for him, not singing a silly inside joke. “ _ Never gonna give you up...or desert you” _

 

\--

6

Everything is perfect. He had asked Grantaire. He had explicitly told Grantaire it was a ‘romantic date’. He hadn’t thrown up. Grantaire had said yes. He had food from Grantaire's favorite Korean restaurant. He hadn’t gotten flowers because Grantaire got hay fever. Everything is going to be perfect. All he has to do is breath.

 

And check that the doorbell is still working because  _ where is he? _

 

Enjolras is one second away from combusting from nerves when the doorbell finally rings.He opens the door and -- wow.

 

Grantaire looks very, very nervous. But it is clear there was some product in his hair and he’s holding a box of cupcakes and his shirt matches his eyes and also his tattoos and-

 

Wow.

 

-It takes Enjolras a second to register that Grantaire is talking to distracted tracing the vines climbing his arms, but he eventually tunes into the rush of words pouring out of the other man's mouth “...Enjolras?...Are you okay...”

 

Already feeling the blush working its way up the back of his neck, Enjolras springs into action, pulling Grantaire inside the apartment and leading him back to the kitchen. “Oh no, sorry, you just look really good and I wasn’t prepared, I mean you always look good but...wow”

 

He looks back to see  Grantaire looking a mix of embarrassed and surprised, which only serves to make him look adorable. Enjolras only rambles when he is very nervous- but the thought of having dinner, alone, in a romantic way, with Grantaire, has him rambling like he has never seen a boy before in his life.

 

To be fair he has never seen a boy as pretty as Grantaire in his life.

 

“Um thanks, you look really good too, but you always do so I suppose I'm prepared for it.” Grantaire smiles, a little tight in the corners. and holds out the box. “Um, I brought cupcakes? is there anywhere I should set them?” Carrot cake. Enjolras’ favorite.

 

“Sure, I can take them. And, um, you were a bit late so the food is ready if you want to eat. I got Korean, I know you like it. And I can’t cook, and I didn’t want to risk not having anything and. Yeah.”He looks up at Grantaire beaming at him. “What?”

“Nothing it’s just I don’t think that I've ever seen you nervous before. Like I’ve seen before a rally but nothing like...this.” He gestures to Enjolras, who is shaking a little before reaching out to squeeze Enjolras’ hand. “I’m just as nervous if it makes it easier? Also, I’m pretty sure that you could give me stale crackers and I would still think this is the best date ever.”

 

“Okay...Okay” Enjolras takes a deep breath, “thank you, I just really want this to go well. Um, take a seat wherever.”He turns his back to let Grantaire find a seat and to put the cupcakes down, and pull the soup off the burner when his speakers catch his eye. He had almost forgotten! He made his way over to it, and turns on the playlist he had made. It starts with a series of very soft romantic-ish songs, as well as  _ that song. _ Hopefully, Grantaire will think it is funny, not mean or god forbid, think it is a serious choice.

 

The first song starts and Enjolras moves back to the kitchen. Grantaire is sitting in the seat closest to the door, so Enjolras passes him to get to his seat, resisting the urge to drag a hand along the line of Grantaire’s shoulders as he does so.

 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Enjolras asks, he knows it’s a bit of a loaded question, but Grantaire looked grateful and mutters a yes. Enjolras is sure that Grantaire wouldn’t have wanted to ask and, well, it’s better to let Grantaire know Enjolras isn’t going to kick him out for having some alcohol. Enjolras had taken a while to understand that ‘just stopping’ isn’t really an option for Grantaire, and he wants to be supportive. It’s better than having Grantaire feeling like he needs to hide it from the people closest to him and being dangerous. He pours Grantaire a glass wine and begins to dish out food.

 

“How was your day? Did you finish the big article?” Grantaire asks, and Enjolras hadn’t known that Grantaire knew he is working on the main article for this month's publication.

 

“No, but I have a few days for the deadline. I hope it’s popular, the theme is a little dark, but I think that it will resonate with readers.”

 

What is it about again?” Grantaire asks, tearing up basil to put in his bowl. 

 

“Well, it’s about the lack of education on health in schools. Like health class is a euphemism for sex ed, which it terribly taught, and learning about drugs, which is almost worse. There isn’t a focus on actual health, what to do when you get a cold, how health insurance works, how to talk to the doctor. It’s been a few generations since this was taught, so people can’t really go to their parents because the parents don't know and it’s actually killing people.”

 

“Well, that's true... but there's this thing called google, so problem solved right?”  Grantaire counters, and off they are. Debating and laughing and eating, Grantaire poking fun and Enjolras’ inability to eat spicy food ‘just a little bit, it won’t hurt you.’  Enjolras teased Grantaire for pretending to guess the exact man who cooked their food ‘I get it, you know everyone’. They talk for what seems like hours, and it isn’t till they are finishing the cupcakes does Enjolras realize that he hasn’t heard  _ that song _ , but it’s okay. They are getting along. He hasn’t needed it to start a conversation. It isn’t awkward. They must have been talking too long because it sounds like the playlist has started over.

 

The entire playlist plays through twice before Grantaire begins to hint at an early start the next morning.

 

“Hey, thanks so much for inviting me, I had a really great time.” Grantaire looks up at him and smiles before adding “ I can’t wait to return the favor.”

 

“I can’t wait either.” Impulsively Enjolras leans forward, almost brushing Grantaire's lips, something he’d wanted to do almost since he opened the door for Grantaire. Looking into his eyes for a sign that Grantaire didn’t want this, he finds nothing. The date had gone well, Grantaire had said he wants to go on another one. There is no reason for him to not try. When he sees Grantaire nod his head the tiniest bit, he moves forward the last few inches, and chastely pressed his lips onto Grantaire’s.

 

His first thought is that it is softer than he imagined. He had always assumed that if he kissed Grantaire it would be during an argument, or when he was too drunk and uncoordinated to do it properly. But now they were both almost sober, and they aren’t fighting, it is simply the gentle push of lip against lip. His second thought is that he could hear the music more, now that neither of them are talking and the music barely orders itself in its head before  Grantaire is pulling away laughing and-

 

“Enjolras are you fucking kidding me? How long has this song been playing?” He sounds happy and he is giggling and Enjolras distantly realizes that  _ this might be a problem, this attraction _ but Grantaire looks so overjoyed he figured he doesn’t mind.

 

“Umm, I think like a few times? I think the playlist has played like 3 times? I mean, this version isn’t as abrasive as the original, I think it’s nice. I mean, the lyrics are easier to hear with this version. And. Yeah.” God, he’s acting like a hormonal teenager. Grantaire smiles and moves to press his face into Enjolras’ neck.

 

“It’s okay. I agree. This version is nice. Much nicer than the ones I sent to you.” Almost without noticing they begin swaying in the doorway. 

 

Yeah, this is an okay first date.

\--

The wedding had been something out of a movie. Cosette is glowing, and Marius looks like he was on the verge of joyful tears all day. The wedding was funded by Cosette's father, and not a single expense had been spared, including the reception. The ballroom was covered in silk streamers and flowers, and the band was live and amazing. The Amis are decked out in every color, fabric, and pattern of fabric imaginable, mostly on to Bahorel and Jehan. The service had been a bit stuffy, mostly meant to appease the older friends and family of the newlyweds, but the reception belongs to the Amis. 

 

Jehan and Eponine are swaying together in the middle of the floor, Montparnasse watching raptly from the bar. Bahorel is comforting Joly with his knowledge of food safety laws after the man had almost had to leave after seeing the buffet style meal. Bossuet and Musichetta are standing a bit away, dancing together. Combeferre is sitting with a few of Marius’ old school friends, slowly eviscerating everything they thought was true about the world with a smile on his face. Fueilly is saying goodbye to the radiant couple, who looked as if they were about to float away with happiness. Grantaire and Enjolras are slowly swaying together in the darker corner of the dance floor, talking to each other, oblivious of the others in the room.

 

And Courfeyrac is quietly arguing with the frontman in the band.

 

Finally, he strides away, seemingly victorious, as the frontman of the band turns off his mic and begins to talk to his bandmates. The bass player begins to laugh as the drummer begins to argue with the frontman as he gestures first to Courfeyrac, then to the couple obliviously swaying in the corner of the room. Finally, a consensus is met and the frontman turns around and starts speaking into the mic again, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Hello, friends and family of Mr. and Mrs. Pontmercy! We have our first request of the night, so, um, we didn’t choose this song. It has been requested, as ah, ‘revenge for M. Enjolras’” With that he takes a step back, and the drums and guitar begin to play.

 

The effect is slow. First, the few remaining older people begin to nod along, not understanding the implications of the song, remembering when it first came out. Then the sober people begin to pick up what was playing. They look up, trying to find who had unleashed this song on them, who has the gall. Combeferre fixes eyes on Courfeyrac with a glare that would kill a lesser man. All he receives in return is a wink. Finally, as the lyrics of the chorus began, Bahorel recognizes the song and with a roar clues the rest of the party to what they are listening to.

 

“WHO THE FUCK IS RICK-ROLLING US?”

 

Instantaneously the party is an uproar, people pointing fingers, remembering the song, the rage when they had been rickrolled, cries of ‘what year is it??’ coming from every part of the room and people realize what is happening. Half the dancers laugh it off Throwing their hands in the air, singing along with the type of enthusiasm that only comes with joy and rum., the others irate, seeming to move towards the bandstand like the beginnings of a mod, only to be blocked by the movements of the rest of the crowd.

 

And in the corner, Enjolras and Grantaire swaying, too caught up in each other to even notice the change.

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I had to listen to that song like 10 times while writing this fic.
> 
> All those articles are fake, but my rage at corporate scholarships is real.  
> The remixes of Never Gonna Give you up are also fake something I am very thankful for.
> 
> Thank you so much to my prompter, and to the organizers of the summer holiday exchange!  
> Sustain your fic writer with Kudos and Comments!!


End file.
